Dracula: The Legacy Collection [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

It is unfortunate that this collection of Universal Dracula films were only released in this mega-DVD collection as a means of promoting the film Van Helsing, but the important thing is that they were released - including the inimitably weird House of Dracula on DVD for the first time. This collection inspired its own kind of bloodlust in my Dracula-loving heart, and I imagine all fans of Dracula and Universal's classic monsters movies of the 30s and 40s have either already purchased this set or are saving up the money to do so. Just look at the bounty of riches included here: the original 1931 classic Dracula starring Bela Lugosi, which you can view with both its original score as well as the modern score composed by Philip Glass and performed by the Kronos Quartet; the incredible and technically superior Spanish language version of Dracula; Dracula's Daughter (1936); Son of Dracula (1943) starring Lon Chaney, Jr.; House of Dracula (1945); an original documentary, The Road to Dracula, discussing the making of the English and Spanish versions of the original film; a commentary by film historian David J. Skal on the original film; theatrical trailers for the films; and, last and certainly least, a look at how the original Dracula franchise influenced director Stephen Sommers in the making of his new film Van Helsing.

I waited a long time to watch the Spanish version of the Dracula, and it lived up to its reputation. A much more complete and compelling version of the film, aided by an additional half hour running time, this movie equals or excels the English language version of the film in all ways - except, of course, for the performance of Bela Lugosi, who simply is Count Dracula. As for the Lugosi version, I'm torn between the two scores. As a traditionalist, I tend to favor the original score, but certain scenes, particularly those involving Dracula's predatory approach to his victims are made much more powerful with the addition of the Glass score. Either way, though, Bela Lugosi is the main attraction, and his iconic performance defines Count Dracula to this very day.

The three Dracula sequels vary in quality, none of them living up to the reputation of the original. Dracula's Daughter takes the story in an interesting direction, giving us a vampire who seeks help in freeing herself of the Dracula curse, and Gloria Holden gives a formidable and nuanced performance as the daughter of the Count. Son of Dracula, on the other hand, pretty much lays an egg in my opinion. The only interesting thing about this movie is the debate over the true identity of the Count - is he Dracula? the son of Dracula? a relative of Dracula? In the end, it really doesn't matter, but it seems obvious that the blood of Bela Lugosi's Count Dracula certainly doesn't run in the veins of "Count Alucard" because this new bloodsucker on the block isn't the smartest vampire in the castle. Many Dracula fans will of course be aware of the fact that Lon Chaney, Sr., was the original choice to play Dracula in the 1931 film; his death opened the way for the relatively unknown Bela Lugosi to take on the role he had already played hundreds of time on stage. In Son of Dracula, Lon Chaney, Jr., gets the chance to don the cape; Chaney earned his spot of fame in the Universal monster pantheon, but he didn't earn it as the Count - his performance is nothing short of boring, aided not one iota by a surprisingly weak script from the hand of Curt Siodmak.

The addition of House of Dracula to The Dracula Legacy Collection is a very big deal, for this is the first time this film has found its way to DVD. House of Dracula is a really weird film, as this sequel of sorts to House of Frankenstein features not only Count Dracula, but Frankenstein's monster and the Wolf Man as well. John Carradine plays a quite pedestrian Count Dracula, while Lon Chaney, Jr., plays the Wolf Man; Frankenstein's monster is played by Glenn Strange, but the monster plays only the most minor of roles in the story. The action takes place in Vasaria (wherever that is), where Dr. Franz Edelman (Onslow Stevens) is pursuing his own rather wacky scientific experiments, placing great hope on some new kind of spore he is growing in his private little hothouse. Both Count Dracula and Larry Talbot (the Wolf Man) come seeking his help; Talbot's wish to banish the Wolf Man manifestation from his life is understandable, but Dracula's reasons for seeking help are never made clear. In the course of trying to help these two special patients, Edelman runs into the body of Frankenstein's monster in a cave underneath his sanitarium (in a rather ho-hum fashion, no less). As you might expect, this association with three monsters turns out to be a bad thing, leaving Edelman in a pretty bad fix himself. It's somewhat difficult to take this movie seriously, but it does provide some wacky good fun in a campy sort of way.

There is a slight risk involved with purchasing The Dracula Legacy Collection, but the rewards are worth the risk. Just be careful opening the case - even if both of the DVDs (one of which is double-sided) remain in position, you are likely to find a little knob underneath each one just dying for the chance to scratch a disc.

Some of the classic Black and White Universal Studio's horror films from the 1930s and 40s they released under a special collection called The Legacy Collection. This collection focuses on the classic Dracula and the films it spawned, or as I call them the "Sons of" movies in the Dracula vein. (pun intended)

These collections were themed movies, about 4 to 6 films in each collection, that were focused around the one "big hit" and it's "Sons of" features.

Dracula features the original classic staring Bela Lugosi in the role he never got out of. This is a classic. No horror collection is complete without this original film. It is the story of blood lust, love and the daemons we harbor within ourselves. Love this film, it is a classic Fang Feature, and I personally think Bela was the King of the Vampires. "Children of the Night..."

The collection also includes Dracula in the Spanish Version. Both films were made at the same time, and it is so different. The same sets were used, the same script, but using different actors. See, they made the English version during the day, and then filmed the Spanish one at night. There is an introduction that explains it all in English. But the film is in Spanish. Interesting Dracula, btw, he is very classy. My Spanish is good enough that I made it through most of the film. It's an interesting version. If you are Spanish speaking, you will appreciate it.

In the "Sons of" films, we have Dracula's Daughter and Son of Dracula. OK... bland. Sorry - very bland. Not much more I can say. Gloria Holden looks the part well, but the plot plods and plods and this movie moves slower than traffic on the LA Expressway at rush hour.

Lon Chaney Jr. is the "Son of" and we have a "Southern Version" that limps. Yes, this movie moves to Southern USA. While Lon Chaney Jr makes a fine Wolf Man, this Dracula is tortured, in the wrong place and the supporting actors are a joke.

The last one is amusing, if nothing else. We do have all the "monsters" here in House of Dracula featuring Lon Chaney Jr as the Wolf Man and John Carradine as the Count, as well as Frankenstein's monster and the usual mob chase scene. I found it funny, but I don't think it was meant to be. Carradine is the stiffest Dracula I've ever seen, really. Stiff... And they sliced some footage of Karloff into the film. I understand it is from the "Bride of" movie. I caught that one!

Quality wise, these films are cleaned up, the sound is very good and overall the appearance of these films is remarkable. There are also extras, like the making of the film, theatrical trailers, stills, and film history. This is a two disk set with a double sided DVD.

The original is well worth it, and if you are Spanish speaking, this collection is worth it for a good Spanish version of Dracula. But the "Son's of" are not really all that great, and are good only from the standpoint of it "completes" the collection. boudica

Take Bela Lugosi away from Tod Browning's Dracula and it would collapse completely. Even with him it doesn't hold up at all well, making 70 minutes feel like seven hours as it crawls its flatfooted way through the plot points with barely a trace of style or imagination, making for possibly the dullest classic ever made. George Melford's Spanish version shot simultaneously on the same sets is infinitely superior thanks to beautifully fluid direction and a better script, but even that eventually runs aground in endless dialogue scenes and is hindered by the absence of Lugosi.

Dracula's Daughter starts off promisingly with Van Helsing arrested for the murder of Dracula only to be let off the hook when the count's daughter steals the body, but despite trying to bring something new to the formula through her desire to lose her family curse and live a normal life, in the end its all premise and no payoff. There's a mild lesbian frisson in Gloria Holden's scene with Nan Gray's model, but the film feels under-developed all the way and Marguerite Churchill's heroine is one of the most malicious and thoroughly unpleasant female leads imaginable.

Son of Dracula is in many ways the best of Universal's Dracula movies despite the studio's obsession with relocating their monster stable to the Deep South. Lon Chaney Jr. isn't quite as bad as usual as Count Alucard, but the real backbone of the film is a strong script with an interesting plot twist that's not afraid to leave its nominal hero in the throes of madness. The smoke effects are particularly enjoyable.

House of Dracula is another one of the studio's monster mashes, but and enjoyable one with good doctor Onslow Stevens finding himself with Dracula, the Wolfman and the Frankenstein Monster among his patients. But having spent so much time killing Dracula and curing Talbot (his lycanthropy is psychosomatic, apparently), it suffers from a rushed ending that barely has time to fit the good doctor going mad, reviving the Frankenstein monster, killing his loyal hunchbacked nurse before everything goes up in flames: in fact, he's so rushed off his feet that even Lionel Atwill's police chief and the rioting villagers only get a couple of shots, turning up just in time to run away. The real star of the show is John Carradine's Dracula, one of the most interesting screen interpretations, seducing his victim through music with a sad dignity that reminds you that sometimes the Devil really is a gentleman.

Sadly, once you get past the Lugosi film, the presentation on this NTSC set falters. By putting the remaining four films on both sides of one disc, extras are suddenly non-existent and the discs are liable to problems: despite going through two copies, there are problems playing a couple of scenes in Son of Dracula and House of Dracula on a number of different players. Be aware that you might find yourself returning this one a few times to get one that plays properly.